Head north or south for Cherry Blossom Festival fun

It's cherry blossom season -- but even if you can't make it to Japan or Washington, D.C., to see the famed blossoms, there are a couple of Cherry Blossom Festivals on the West Coast that you might find tempting this month.

Vancouver, B.C.'s Cherry Blossom Festival starts Thursday and runs through April 28. There are events each weekend through the end of the month -- including guided walks under the blossoming trees and outdoor painting sessions.

The Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival (it's in San Francisco's Japantown) runs over both the weekends of April 14-15 and 21-22. The Grand Parade is on Sunday April 22, and other activities include exhibits on bonsai, origami, and calligraphy, as well as martial arts and musical performances.

Flights from Portland to Vancouver are as low as $345 round-trip in late April and into June. For a more leisurely journey, there's one Amtrak Cascades train every day that goes to Vancouver from Portland. It leaves Portland at 2:50 p.m., arriving in Vancouver at 10:50 p.m., and a one-way ticket starts at $59. You can also take the train as far as Seattle and then take Amtrak's bus service to Vancouver. These tickets also start at $59 one-way. Airfare from Portland to San Francisco starts at just $234 round-trip for most of April.

Details are subject to change, so check directly with the hotels and airlines to confirm.